Regis Le Bris has taken Sunderland by storm as he aims to return them to the Premier League.
Sunderland are currently in a great spot. After 15 games, the Black Cats sit top of the Championship and have not lost since September 28.
Regis Le Bris has helped to inspire this revolution which has taken the club from a miserable mid-table finish to genuine Premier League promotion contenders.
While their next match away to Millwall will be tricky with Le Bris confirming multiple Sunderland stars are injured, the club will no doubt still aim to return to winning ways.
Now, ahead of the clash, the Sunderland manager has admitted he didn’t realise the size of the club until he joined.
Regis Le Bris insists you can’t assess the reality of Sunderland’s size before you are at the club
Having been at the Black Cats for almost half a year now, Le Bris has had plenty of time to take in his surroundings.
On top of the wonderful work he is doing on the pitch, the Frenchman has been ‘amazed’ by how big the club actually is.
So far this campaign, Sunderland comfortably leads the way for the highest average attendance at 41,102. Ahead of Saturday’s clash against Millwall, a contingent of 3,000 Black Cats fans are also expected to cheer the side on.
Now, in a recent interview, Le Bris insisted that you cannot truly tell how big Sunderland are until you come to the club.
He explained to The Sun: “The players are good — very good. I have worked with many, many players that have worked at the highest level. It is always a question of potential. We think that they could play at the highest level, Premier League or Champions League.
“But the question between the potential and reality is down to the pathway. I’m very confident for them but it’s still fragile.
“Yet their behaviours, for example, Jobe, Riggy and other players, it’s very interesting their potential and qualities and the way they are managing this relationship with the game.
“If you can keep this relationship with the game then you can exploit your potential. If the environment around the football becomes more important then it will be more difficult.
“I’m just a part of their journey, really. If I can help them to grow, and if they can help us to grow as a club, then that’s a good connection. So we’ll have to see for the future.
“I don’t think you can assess the reality of the size of Sunderland before being at Sunderland. Away to Preston, the stands were full and it was crazy. It’s a new experience for me.
“This football club is very important and its history, the fanbase is big and the passion around the club is impressive.”
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Sunderland are a sleeping giant in the Championship
Sunderland are easily one of the biggest clubs in England. The club consistently have one of the highest average home attendances in the country despite their recent tumble into the second and third tiers.
If placed in the right hands, the Black Cats could easily become a top-half Premier League team.
While the resources haven’t been present in recent years, Le Bris looks to be stirring up a revolution which could finally see the club return to the top flight.
From there, anything could happen, but given the potential of the squad, there is plenty of room for them to grow further.